Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1887-01-27
WAsHINGToN LETTER.
7
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1887.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGULIR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1887.
The passage of the great inter-
state commerce bill, which IS the re-
suit of popular movement beginning
twenty years ago, marks the past
week in congress. There was good
deal of important Legislation
besides this, however. such as
that giving the agricultural depart
ment executive Importance and its
chief seat in the cabinet; that ex-
tirpatlng the hierarchy at salt Lake
City, and that doubling the militia
appropriation for the year. This
last act will doubtless be well re-
ceived everywhere, for the time has
come when 1t is acknowledged that
the citizen soldiery of the land ought
to receive more attention than has
even yet been shown them.
1t was expected that the senate
would settle the vexed question of
commerce by railroads as it did,
about the hour of midnight on Fri
day, but no one knew how many
more senators would be found sup
porting than opposing the bill. 1t
came triumphantly through by a
vote of forty-three to fifteen, al
though number of senators who
voted for the measure were dissatIs-
fed with it. These decided to set
aside their own views and follow the
dictates of their constituents, saying
in this instance, where legislation is
necessarily experimental, it IS safe
to give the people the benefit of the
doubt.
The Interstate commerce bill was
framed and passed forward by men
who were mostly honest in their eff
forts to relieve the people, but there
are good many Legislators who
doubt its efficacy. Some say the
railroads will put up their through
freights instead of reducing their
way freights, and thus insure the
equality which the law demands.
Now that the anti Mormon bill has
been passed by the house, one hears
a good many comments which indi-
Gates an appreciation of the severity
of the measure. 1t not only makes
polygamy felony, but dissoIves the
financial corporations known as the
Latter Day Saints, and the perpetual
Emigration Fund company, and
practically abolishes all the machin-
cry, religious or political, that is
now employed directly in the main
tenance of the Mormon church sys-
tenn. There are differences of
opinion as to the wisdom and justice
of the policy, but the friends of the
measure just passed assume that the
malady is of such a terrible nature
as to require heroic treatment. Its
opponents say it would he better to
wait upon the slow attritions of time
and the pressure of public opinion
to wear the evil out.
The Republicans pledged them
selves to eradicate polygamy in 1886,
more than thirty years ago. They
held power for nearly quarter of
century and as Mormonlsm still
fourishes it is left for the Democrats
to perform a duty which the Repub-
licans neglected or else could not do.
Of course everybody desires that the
''twin relic of barbarism" shall be
destroyed, if it can be done without
straining the constitution. Hon.
Randolph Tucker, of Va, who re-
ported the antl-Mormon bill, held
that there was nothing in it that
could hurt the conscience even of a
Mormon. If he thought there was,
he said he would vote against it.
The state reception at the White
House Oh Thursday evening was
gorgeous in the gold lace of the
guests of honor, the diplomatic
corps, with music, gaslight, flowers
and plans on every side, crush of
richly consumed women and crowd
# famous men, many of them In
brilliant uniforms. Beside the Of
fetal world of the capital, about
sixty persons in privatc life were in
vited to the reception. Among
these was noticed Mrs Frank Leslie,
and 1t was dlffucilt to decide whether
she or Mrs. Stanford, the wife of
the senator from California, wore
5he largest or the finest or the great
est number of diamonds.
The Marine band which furnishes
music at the White House receptions.
is enthusiastic in praise of the pres
ent administration Mr.. Cleveland
feeds them well and is sociable and
kInd to them and Secretary Whitney
is man just after their own hearts.
When they got throug" at the presi-
ient's on New Years day, the Sec
retary of the navy took them over, TO
his house to play at the reception
There. He paid them $5 apiece for
their services, and the leader $40.
This was the first time they ever re-
celved any remuneration from